Jon Gallant <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Rostislav Boiko's music is a completely unoriginal knockoff on 19th century >Russianisms. Nonetheless, he is so engaging about it that I too find his >stuff irresistable--as if Balakirev had been deep-frozen for a century and >thawed recently. Not sure I necessarily agree with the 'totally unoriginal' aspect, since I find some remarkable stuff in the two symphonies I have. However, given that much of his music is based on the folk-music idiom of the various regions and 'oblasts' in which he spent time, I guess some 'familiar' Russianisms are inevitable - and understandable. The Balakirev comment I find quite perspicacious as well as amusing -- I'm going to have to listen a little more carefully to my collections of both composer's music before commenting. >On another wavelength entirely, A Sovcom worth investigating is Edison >Denisov. He writes in a 60s-ish sonoristic idiom--God only knows how he >supported himself in Soviet times --and has a fine ear. Absolutely. I was introuduced to the man's music by a couple of obituaries I spotted in 1996 (I think) and have three or four disks of his, including a gloriously luminous disk of 'a capella' music and one which includes his piano concerto. Well worth digging around for -- think I got them at Berkshire Record Outlet. Tim Mahon Alexandria, VA